Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized by CASA de Maryland, Familias Latinas Unidas, and other organizations, marchers describing themselves as "Obama Orphans," or children whose parents have been deported, called on President Barack Obama to keep his campaign promise of comprehensive immigration reform. less

Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized ... more

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized by CASA de Maryland, Familias Latinas Unidas, and other organizations, marchers describing themselves as "Obama Orphans," or children whose parents have been deported, called on President Barack Obama to keep his campaign promise of comprehensive immigration reform. less

Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized ... more

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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Students hold a sign during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. less

Students hold a sign during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, ... more

Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

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Democratic Party workers hand out signs at a celebration marking Mexican Independence Day September 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Democratic Party is working hard to register Latino voters in Colorado, which will be an important swing state in November's presidential election. less

Democratic Party workers hand out signs at a celebration marking Mexican Independence Day September 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Democratic Party is working hard to register Latino voters in Colorado, ... more

Photo: John Moore / Getty Images

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Volunteer Ginny Barahona of Washington, hands out buttons before first lady Michelle Obama spoke at a Hispanic caucus.

Volunteer Ginny Barahona of Washington, hands out buttons before first lady Michelle Obama spoke at a Hispanic caucus.

Analysis: There’s never going to be a better time to pass immigration reform

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A Republican Party in desperate search for relevance to Latino voters. An expanded Democratic advantage in the Senate. A second-term President with his legacy on the line.

Does all that add up to enough to break decades of impasse and produce comprehensive immigration reform? As expectations — and tensions — rise, the answer won’t be long in coming.

A bipartisan bill could be filed in the Senate as early as next week, followed in relatively short order by a House bill, also crafted by a bipartisan group, aiming at a compromise on the key issue of citizenship.

Whatever happens, Texas lawmakers are in the thick of the fray — on both sides of the aisle.

The efforts are being applauded by President Barack Obama, who is using every ounce of his political clout to try to get comprehensive reform.

Obama said the time has come “to work up the political courage to do what’s required to be done.”

“I expect a bill to be put forward. I expect a debate to begin next month. I want to sign that bill into law as soon as possible,” Obama said at a White House naturalization ceremony.

In addition to the issue of eventual citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, Congress is expected to address the need for temporary or guest worker programs.

Congress last passed comprehensive bipartisan reform legislation in 1986, when President Ronald Reagan signed a law that granted citizenship to several million undocumented immigrants and created a guest worker program.

Up until now, Republicans have opposed citizenship programs as an “amnesty” for lawbreakers who entered the country illegally, and labor has chafed at guest worker programs.

But Republican losses in the 2012 elections and increased public support for reform have many in the GOP talking compromise.

“If there is one issue that the two parties could produce something meaningful on in this Congress, it would be immigration,” said Stephen Hess, a political expert at The Brookings Institution.

Hess said an eventual bill “will have lots of provisos, and it will go back and forth, but it would be hard not to produce something given the general feeling that something has to be produced.”

Similar expectations for gun-control legislation following the Newtown, Conn., massacre has unraveled with opposition in Congress to an assault weapons ban.

By contrast, more and more Republicans are moving toward immigration-reform measures as the party seeks to reach out to Latinos, the nation’s largest — and growing — minority voting bloc.

Public opinion is behind them.

A recent poll showed 63 percent of Americans supported a path to citizenship for undocumented workers provided they meet certain requirements, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute.

And a March report by the Republican National Committee, considered a “post mortem” on the 2012 elections, recommended the GOP embrace comprehensive immigration reform to shore up its shaky standing with minorities – Latinos in particular.

Groups like Numbers USA are working to hold GOP senators in line. They sent 13,000 emails to Kentucky voters that claimed Paul’s position was “more radical and pro-immigration than anything proposed by President Obama.”

The group has targeted Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.(CQ), one of the “Gang of Eight” senators writing the Senate bipartisan bill, as a lawmaker who favors foreign workers over unemployed South Carolinians.

Democrats from conservative-leaning states could also feel political heat.

Beck said if five to 10 Democrats in the Senate oppose a bill, proponents would need 10 to 15 Republicans to reach the 60 votes needed to cut off debate and vote on legislation.

“You do the math,” Beck said.

In 2007, an effort to cut off debate on a Senate immigration reform bill died on a 46-53 vote.

But immigrant reform proponents, like America’s Voice, say there is a “tectonic shift” in the GOP, and the Democrats also have expanded their Senate majority to 53-45, plus two independents who caucus with them. They predict the Senate will muster the votes necessary to pass a reform bill.

Still, it won’t be easy.

“We will have not only a few potholes, but a few near-death experiences along the way,” said Frank Sharry, America’s Voice executive director.

All eyes are on Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican like Paul who was elected with Tea Party support.

Cruz joined Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is up for re-election in 2014, in a measure to stall the fast-moving process in the Senate. Both say they oppose “amnesty.”

In a letter to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Texas Republicans urged the chairman of the Judiciary Committee to open up the legislative process with hearings.

The move troubles Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, who said the Texas senators should be leading the way on immigration reform because of its significance to the state.

“They are badly out of step with Texans on the issue of immigration,” Castro said.

“They should be leading on the issue, because Texas has a stake in it,” Castro said. “Instead, they seem to be trying to sandbag this immigration bill.”

A Cruz spokeswoman said the senator’s insistence on hearings and an open legislative process “is prudent leadership.”

Cornyn said competing ideas about reform that should be “debated out in the open,” and not rushed through Congress.

“Some may prefer that this bill be negotiated in secret and rushed to the floor just like Obamacare, but I do not,” Cornyn said

In the House, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, a former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and author of a 1996 bill to clamp down on illegal immigration, said some Republicans were taking a “wait-and-see” attitude.

“I think a lot of people are waiting to see what the details are, and what it would cost,” Smith said.

“I think most Republicans are not for citizenship, and a lot of Republicans are for partial legalization,” he said.

But a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is trying to craft a compromise that could bring sufficient GOP votes to pass a bill.

One of those GOP lawmakers is Rep. John Carter, a former state district judge from Round Rock.

Carter said he became part of the group writing the bill “because I’m a hard-assed conservative judge and I’m from a state that understands what’s going on.”

Carter said bipartisan House legislation would not reward illegal behavior with citizenship, “however, I think there are earned ways to go about it.”

“There are consequences for bad behavior and I am going to see to it that there are consequences for bad behavior. We’ll see how the final product comes out, but I think it is a product that is workable,” Carter said.

Carter and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., another lawmaker in the bipartisan group, concede that it will be difficult to get the 218 votes needed for a majority.

Nevertheless, Gutierrez said he hopes the process will move quickly after the Easter recess. Carter said a House bill could be filed in April.

The “Gang of Eight” senators – four Democrats and four Republicans – are expected to introduce their bill when Congress returns from Easter recess.

Overall, the new Senate bill is expected to grant undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship within 13 years, similar to a proposal put forth by the White House, according to those familiar with the discussions.

Undocumented immigrants would have to pay fines, back taxes, learn English and have no criminal record to work legally and become eligible for naturalization.

Although no specific details have been released, senators involved in the process say the citizenship proposals would be contingent upon border-security benchmarks and high-tech measures to curb illegal crossings.

Congress will return to an expected throng of thousands of immigrants, labor and immigrant rights supporters on the West Lawn of the Capitol this week.

And advocates are holding over 200 events in 35 states during the congressional recess to rally support, said Sue Chinn, campaign manager for Alliance for Citizenship.

Activists for reform believe they have momentum on their side.

“Most of us remain optimistic that we are proceeding toward the passage of immigration reform this year,” Sharry said.